Jewel of Fate
by ImhotepsGirl
Summary: What happens when Imhotep has the power to destroy the universe?
1. He Walks Again

Body Note: None of these characters belong to me. They all go to Universal Studios, etc. 

I tried to be nice this time and not stretch any characters for this story. I hope it worked! 

The kitchen of the O'Connell home was as full as it ever was. Rick and Jonathan sat together reading the daily newspaper, while Alex carefully ate his breakfast and Evelyn kept cooking it. Everything was peaceful and had been for two years since their last encounter with Imhotep. 

"What _are_ you giggling about?" Evelyn said, turning from her frying pan of eggs. 

Rick and Jonathan looked up. "Oh, nothing, Evie," Jonathan replied. "Just having a look at the classified ads." 

Evelyn sighed and continued breakfast. She was just about to sit down when they all heard a crash from the living room. Everyone hurried toward the noise. Standing by the open front door, heaving and out of breath, was Ardeth Bay. Evelyn helped him to a chair that Rick pulled out for him. 

Once he caught his breath, Ardeth began to speak. "I apologize for barging in. I need your help." 

Jonathan slumped onto the couch. "Not again," he muttered. No one else seemed to hear him, or at least, pay attention. 

"What's up?" Rick asked. 

Ardeth sighed. "He walks again, but it is more urgent than this." 

Alex looked surprised. "What could be worse than that?" 

"He has stolen something from us," Ardeth explained. "The Jewel of Fate. With it, he could destroy the entire universe!" 

Rick was skeptical. "You're not serious? How could a jewel destroy the universe?" 

"The person who controls the jewel, controls fate. With that power, he can decide whether something lives or dies. Obviously a most powerful weapon." 

Evelyn shook her head. "Back-track a moment. How did he come back?" 

Ardeth rolled his eyes, something they had never seen him do. "There were diggers. The Med-Jai on duty were not thorough in their check and they went unnoticed overnight. In that time, the people managed to find the mummy. They woke him much the same way you did." 

"Great," Jonathan piped up, "there are more nuts out there like us." 

Again, he was ignored. 

"How did he get the jewel?" Alex asked. "And how did it come to be in the possession of the Med-Jai?" 

Ardeth asked for a glass of water. He waited until Evelyn had come back to answer Alex's question. "About 1,500 years ago, while our ancestors were watching over the creature, a young Med-Jai-in-training wandered off. He stumbled on the jewel by chance. From then on, it was his job, and the job of his decendants, to watch over it." 

"Apparently screw-ups are common in his family?" Jonathan muttered. 

Evelyn finally acknowledged him and gave him a dirty look. Jonathan studied the print on the couch. 

"Actually, the current protector is now dead," Ardeth informed him. "The creature killed him." 

Jonathan looked properly embarrassed. 

"So what is he going to do with it now?" Evelyn asked. 

Ardeth paused. "We aren't sure. To unlock it's power, it is said that you must first speak the magic incantation. Only a select few are given the incantation to pass down through the generations. It is not written down anywhere." 

"Well that should make it a little easier," Rick said, smiling. 

Ardeth said nothing. Rick's smile disappeared. "What?" 

"The High Priest of Osiris is one of the select few." 

Rick groaned. "He would be." 

Alex jumped up. "So how do we get it back?" 

Evelyn stared at her son. "You are _not_ going! I don't want your life in danger ever again!" 

"Good, I'll watch him," Jonathan said. 

Alex looked disappointed but Jonathan was smiling. 

Evelyn glared at her brother. "No, you have to come too." 

"But why, Evie? I'll only get in the way." 

"We're going to need all the help we can get." 

Alex pouted. "But I can't go? How fair is that? I'll be more help than Uncle Jonathan!" 

"Hey!" 

"Sorry." 

Evelyn put her hands up. "No, Alex, you're staying with your friend, Simon. I'm going to go call them now." She left the room. 

When she returned, she asked, "So where are we going?" 

"He must have some things with him to make the incantation work. One of them is the sacred alter at Hamunaptra." 

Rick sighed. "There again?" 

Evelyn clasped her hands together. "Great! Everyone get packed!" 


	2. Stowaway

Body The boat trip this time around was no less tense than the first one. Jonathan pouted the whole way, mostly because he hated being there, but also because he was losing horribly at cards, again. Rick was preparing for yet another fight and had gone off on his own somewhere. Evelyn stayed in her room, pacing. She was ready for the action. Lately things had gotten too boring. Ardeth always kept to himself. 

Evelyn decided to take a walk. She went leisurely around to the sitting area by the railing and noticed Jonathan sitting at one of the tables. She frowned. He was looking under the table and nodding. Then he said something and laughed. Evelyn walked over to him. 

The second he noticed her, he looked up and put his chin in his hand, trying to act casual. He smiled and gave a little wave. "Hi, Evie!" 

"You're not very good at that, so stop it and tell me who you were talking to a moment ago." 

Jonathan looked disappointed. "Evie, come on. Don't be that way. You must have been seeing things." 

Evelyn scowled at him. "Yes, I was seeing you talking! Now who is it?" She peeked under the table and gasped. "Alex!" 

Alex crawled out from under the table and looked properly sheepish. "Hi, mum." 

"What are you _doing_ here?" she demanded. 

"I wanted to come along," Alex replied. 

Evelyn was so upset, all she could say was, "Hmph!" She took him by the shoulder and steered him to her room. 

Rick was sitting on the bed when they arrived. "What!" he cried when he saw his son. 

"Mom already got into it," Alex mumbled. 

Rick looked at Evelyn, who shook her head. She had no idea what to even think. "You're going to stay _right here_ until we hit land," Rick scolded. 

Alex nodded. 

"Evelyn, we need to make some plans," Rick stated. They walked out of the room together, Rick giving Alex one last pointed look. 

Ten minutes later, Jonathan poked his head in the door. "Want to play cards?" 

Alex smiled. 


	3. Hamunaptra

Body The team arrived at Hamunaptra a few days later. Ardeth kept trying to hurry them along. "He doesn't need much time! We must move!" 

The delay was caused because of lack of supplies. Some of their things turned up missing once they'd gotten off the boat. It took them a day just to restock. Initially, Rick had blamed Jonathan, thinking he'd lost them in a card game. 

"I did no such thing!" Jonathan protested. Rick still believed he had. 

So once the sun rose and Hamunaptra came within sight, they rode to the City of the Dead as fast as they could. Imhotep was sure to be there. 

The team was not disappointed. Right outside the city walls stood several mummified priests, guarding the entrance. Ardeth and Rick jumped off their horses and made quick work of them. They rode onward, Ardeth leading the way. 

Once inside, they made their way downward, into the chamber that held the sacred alter. 

"He doesn't need a sacrifice for this, does he?" Evelyn asked uneasily. 

Ardeth shook his head. "No, but he will not be happy to see us. We must be on our guard." 

A screech came from behind. Jonathan jumped, pushing Evelyn to the floor accidentally. Rick and Ardeth turned to see more priests. After several minutes of fighting, they were once again alone. 

They looked around. The whole place was empty. Not a sound came from anywhere. 

"Well, where is he?" Rick asked, sword ready. 

Ardeth shook his head and motioned for them to move on. 

"Evelyn, you stay by me," Rick said. 

There was no reply. 

"Evelyn?" 

Looking around, they saw no trace of her. Jonathan sighed. "Here we go again." 

"Evelyn!" Rick yelled. 

"No!" Ardeth shouted. "We mustn't let him know where we are!" 

"You yelled too," Alex pointed out. 

Ardeth just looked at him. 

"Well where is she?" 

"Didn't you already say something like that?" Alex said. He didn't seem worried about his mother in the least. 

"Be useful," Rick replied. "Find your mother." 

Alex trotted off in a different direction. 

"Jonathan, go with him." 

Jonathan pouted, but he went. 

Rick and Ardeth turned down a hall. After getting lost in the maze, they finally came upon a piece of wall that was turned outward, revealing a secret room. Quietly, they entered. 

Imhotep stood with his back to the door, in front of a long table. The two men moved around so they could see the table, being careful to stay behind him and out of sight. In the middle of the table stood what looked like a tall, slender vase. Resting on top of it was the Jewel of Fate. 

He muttered something in Ancient Egyptian. Rick and Ardeth looked at each other, upset that they had none of their interpretors with them. They wanted to come up with a plan but were afraid to even whisper with Imhotep in the room. They slipped back outside. 


	4. Plans Go Awry

Body "What are we going to do?" Rick asked? 

"You want a plan this time?" Ardeth half-teased. 

Rick looked at him oddly. That was very unlike him. Ardeth shrugged. 

"I suppose we should take him by surprise," Ardeth suggested. "Kill him before he even knows we're there." 

Rick nodded. "Sure. We can do that." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself. 

Suddenly Jonathan comes running at them. "We found her!" he cried. 

Rick and Ardeth moaned, prepared for the battle they knew would ensue. 

Sure enough, Imhotep came out of the room, and Jonathan ran right into him. Immediately, Imhotep grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up. Jonathan strugged, and kicked him in the leg. 

Imhotep bent slightly to the pain, and Ardeth took the opportunity to slice at him with his sword. Imhotep threw Jonathan at them, and Rick, Ardeth, and Jonathan all ended up in a ball on the floor. 

Evelyn and Alex came up next. They had been in time to see Jonathan get thrown. Evelyn stopped. Alex didn't. 

"Alex, get back here!" Evelyn hissed. Alex didn't listen. He walked straight up to Imhotep and punched him in the stomach. It did nothing to him. Alex ended up with the rest of them in the pile. 

Imhotep looked at Evelyn and smiled. He ducked back into the room and closed the door behind him. By then everyone was on their feet. They tried without success to open the door. 

"He could do anything in there," Ardeth stated. 

"Like destroy the universe," Rick commented. He turned to Evelyn. "By the way, what does this mean?" He repeated what Imhotep had said earlier, as best he could. 

Evelyn gasped. "He cursed Anck-su-Namun!" 

Ardeth started. "He must want revenge for her running away on him." 

"We have to stop him!" Evelyn cried. She beat on the door, but the stone made her hands hurt. 

She put her ear up to the tiny crack in the wall. She could hear nothing. "What are we going to do?" 

"We have to get this door open," Ardeth said. 

"But how?" Jonathan asked. "You going to pry it open with your sword?" 

Rick and Ardeth looked at each other, then tried it. It didn't work. 

Suddenly the door came open. Imhotep stood there, wearing the jewel around his neck and a smile on his face. He spoke. 

"Now will come the end of the world. It will pay the price for my love's rejection." 

"That sounds bad," Rick said. 

The two men tried to fight Imhotep, but he blew them off. Apparently he still had his powers, though they were obviously diminished with his suicide. 

They seemed at an impass. No one knew what to do. 


	5. Ardeth's Heroism

Body As they all stood there, waiting for Imhotep to destroy the universe. Alex had an idea. He told Jonathan, who immediately hated it. Naturally that was because he was part of it. 

"Please? It's the only way!" Alex whispered. 

Jonathan debated for a minute. He was not happy. Alex knew that meant he would do it. 

He debated for a minute more while he stared at Imhotep. Then his expression changed. "I can do it." 

Alex almost yelled with happiness. 

Jonathan marched right up to Imhotep, much to everyone's surprise. He started to speak, when Imhotep smirked. 

Yet again, he grabbed Jonathan by the throat and held him up in the air. Jonathan pushed on his chest and arms, trying to get him to let go. He kicked, but this time Imhotep was smart and kept his legs out of the way. Finally, Imhotep threw him into the far wall. Jonathan crumbled to the floor. 

Alex and Evelyn ran to him. 

Imhotep spoke with power. Evelyn turned to him, wide-eyed. "No!" 

"It's okay, mom," Alex said. "He can't do anything now." 

Evelyn looked confused. But it was true. Imhotep had decreed a fate to the universe and nothing had happened. Imhotep became angry. 

They all looked to Imhotep. He looked down. His necklace was empty. When they looked back to Jonathan, he was smiling, and held the jewel up for them to see. 

"Let's get the hell out of here!" Rick shouted. 

Imhotep was screaming now. Cursing us all, Evelyn thought. She was too busy running to explain to the others. 

They reached the outside and jumped on their horses. Imhotep was right behind them. 

"Go!" Ardeth instructed them. 

After hesitation, they left, wondering if they would see him again. 

***** 

Weeks later, they sat at home. The Jewel of Fate rested in the museum. Since they had left Hamunaptra, they had all been more quiet than usual. Jonathan and Alex had even managed to stay out of trouble. Not that anyone else paid much attention. They were all still worried about Ardeth. He'd obviously not made it, or he would have contacted them by now. 

The phone rang. Evelyn went to answer it. 

When she came back to the room, she was grinning. "Let's go!" 

Rick jumped up. "Where?" 

"To the hospital! They have Ardeth!" 

Everyone hurried out. They made it to the hospital in record time. 

"What happened?" 

"Where have you been?" 

"How did you get here?" 

"Are you okay?" 

Everyone started talking at once. Ardeth sat up with effort and smiled. It hurt, so he stopped. He looked awful. 

"He's gone," Ardeth started slowly. It hurt to talk so he whispered. "During our fight, he killed my horse. He started laughing about it, then demanded the jewel. I gave him something else instead. My sword." 

"What did you do without a horse?" Alex asked. 

"I had to walk. That's why I look the way I do. I walked a very long way before some travellers found me near the city. I stayed only long enough to eat and rest, then I came here." 

"Why didn't you just call?" Evelyn asked. 

Ardeth looked at her sheepishly. "I didn't think of that." He looked down at himself. "Apparently they thought I hadn't rested enough and made me come here instead." 

"At least you're safe." 

Ardeth became quiet. "For now," he whispered. No one heard him. 


End file.
